Machines for interconnecting continuous webs

ABSTRACT

A machine for interconnecting webs of materials such as cardboard includes a support which pivots about a horizontal axis and on which are mandrels for supporting a reel being unwound and a fresh reel respectively, a rotary cutter, a motion transmission device between the rotary cutter and the mandrels, and means for coupling the cutter and the mandrel bearing the fresh reel.

Corse Sept. 9, 1975 1 MACHINES FOR [NTERCONNECTING 2,000,439 5/1935 Fankboncr 242/58.3

CONTINUOUS WEBS 3.2571185 6/1966 Riegger H 3,467,334 9/[969 Chestnut et al 242/5843 [75] lnventor: Louis G. Corse, Orleans-Cedex,

France FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Assignee: Societe (fEtudcs dc Machines 336.256 lO/l930 United Kingdom 242/583 Speciales, France Primary Examiner-John W. Huckert Filedi 1973 Assistant Examiner-John M. Jillions [2 H App] No: 407*672 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Burns;

Emmanuel J. Lobato; Bruce L Adams [30] Foreign Application Priority Data ABSTRACT Sept, l3, 1972 France 7232455 I A machine for interconnecting webs of materials such [52] Cl I 242/583; 156/504 as cardboard includes a support which pivots about a [5 l 1 hm Cl B65h 19/16 horizontal axis and on which are mandrels for support [58] Field of Search 242/583s 581, 582 584 ing a reel being unwound and a fresh reel respectively, 242/585; 156/502, 504! 505, 506, 507 a rotary cutter, a motion transmission device between the rotary cutter and the mandrels. and means for [56] Referemes Cited coupling the cutter and the mandrel bearing the fresh UNITED STATES PATENTS reel 2,000.25; 5/1935 Richter 242/583 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEU SE? 9 3. 904. l 42 MACHINES FOR INTERCONNECTING CONTINUOUS WEBS BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for interconnecting the ends of lengths or webs of material particularly, but not exclusively, webs of cardboard.

Various devices have been proposed for interconnecting the ends of lengths of material travelling at high speed but all suffer from drawbacks of one kind or another.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved device of this type suitable for joining lengths of material travelling at high speed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a device for the interconnection of two travelling sheets end to end, particularly sheets of cardboard, unwound from reels, comprising a support which pivots about a horizontal axis, with two mandrels mounted thereon accommodating an unwinding reel and a new reel respectively. A rotary device is provided for cutting the material on the substantially unwound reel, said device including a cylinder, a motor for rotating the cylinder, which latter bears a blade extending transversally of the sheet, a device for transmitting motion from between the bladeholding cylinder to each of the mandrels, and means by which the mandrel bearing the new reel can be selectively coupled to the blade-holding cylinder, in order to start and rotate this mandrel synchronously with the said blade-holding cylinder, and in order to brake the mandrel bearing the delivery reel so that the surface speed of that reel matches the surface speed of the new reel the motion of which is about to begin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a preferred feature of the invention, the pivotal support comprises two web units, engaging associated with the two mandrels, each unit comprising two return cylinders over which the sheet in course of being unwound passes from the reel mounted on the mandrel, and a counter-blade extending transversely of the sheet and accommodated between the two return cylinders and borne by levers pivotably mounted on the support, means being provided by which, during the operation of cutting the sheet, the said levers are caused to pivot, the counter-blade thus being moved into the active position in which it interacts with the blade borne by the rotary cylinder.

The connection device to which the invention relates enables the operation of interconnecting two sheets of material, travelling at a high speed, to be rendered far easier. The fact is that it is sufficient, during the passage through the apparatus of the sheet in course of being unwound, to place the blade-holding cylinder of the rotary cutting device in front of a first fixed reference mark and to place an adhesive band, provided at the end of the outermost turn of the new reel, opposite a second reference mark of which the position in relation to the first depends on the diameter of the reel, in order to ensure the correct relative positions, owing to the motion transmission to the mandrel bearing the new reel, from the rotary cutting device. The apparatus to which the invention relates provides a high degree of accuracy in the interconnection of the two sheets of material, the gap between the edges of the two sheets never exceeding the acceptable tolerance limits.

The ways in which the blade-holding cylinder is constructed and operated is calculated in such a way that the cutting operation will not take place perpendicularly to the edges of the sheet, so that the interconnection passage of the two sheets, between printing rollers, will not cause any sudden jump. The beginning of the new sheet will thus be cut on the same slant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical section through an automatic device for interconnecting two sheets of material end to end, in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic horizontal section taken along lines 22 in FIG. 1 through the rotary device for cutting the material and selectively driving the reels.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The device shown in FIG. 1 comprises a frame 1 consisting of two parallel vertical uprights on which is mounted a support 2, consisting of two parallel vertical arms 3 and pivotable about a horizontal axis X. Each of the arms 3 pivots on the adjacent upright of the frame 1, about a shaft 4 with the axis X. Each arm 3 is of symmetrical shape in relation to the axis X and bears two diametrically opposite mandrels 5 and 6.

In the position shown in FIG. 1 the upper mandrel 5 bears a reel A from which a continuous web or sheet 7, e.g. of paper or cardboard, is delivered at a high speed. The lower mandrel 6 bears a new reel B of sheet material 7 in readiness for splicing to an end portion of web 7 the outer end of sheet 7' being cut on a slant. This outer end is to be connected, at a certain moment, to an end of the sheet 7, without interrupting the passage of this latter. For this purpose the outermost turn of the new reel B, in readiness, is fitted at its extremity with an adhesive band 8 the adhesive side of which faces towards the exterior and which is half engaged underneath the extreme portion of the sheet forming the reel B. This adhesive connecting band 8 is held on the new reel by two small transversal adhesive bands attached near the edges of the reel.

The pivoting support 2 bears two identical units associated respectively with the mandrels 5 and 6 and diametrically opposite to each other and to a line perpendicular to that passing through the axes of the said mandrels 5 and 6. Each of these units comprises two return rollers 20, 9, 20a, 9a, rotatably mounted on the arms 3, between which rollers is provided a counter-blade 11, 11a, forming part of a cutting device marked 12 as a whole. This cutting device 12 comprises a rotary cylinder 13 with a horizontal axis, rotatably mounted on the frame I of the machine and rotatable by an electric motor 14 (FIG. 2). The cutting cylinder 13 bears a blade 10 which extends transversely with respect to the sheet of material 7 and forms an acute angle with the counter-blade 11, 11a. Each counter'blade 11, 11a, which extends over the entire width of the device, is integral at its ends with two levers 15, 15a, pivoting about the shaft of the roller 9, 9a, the travel of these levers being limited by two fingers 16, 16a, engaging holes in the said levers 15, 15a. The pivoting movement of either lever 15, 15a, is conti'olled by a jack 17 which is mounted on the frame 1 of the machine and having a rod 18 acting on the lower extremities of the levers when the latter occupy the cutting position, as is the case with the levers in FIG. 1. Furthermore, the levers 15 and 150 are restored to the inactive position of rest by springs 50, 50a.

In the lower part the device covered by the invention comprises an applicator roller 19 which is caused to rotate by the unwinding of the sheet 7 and mounted at the lower end of two arms 21, pivoting on the frame 1 of the machine, about shafts 22. The pivoting movement of the arms 21 is controlled by a jack 23 articulated to the frame of the device.

As may be seen from FIG. 1, the sheet 7 in the course of being unwound from the upper reel A passes over the upper reversing roller 20, in the immediate vicinity of the blade-holding cylinder 13, then onto the lower return cylinder 9, descends into the position required to enable it to be wound onto the applicator roller 19, and leaves this latter by moving horizontally towards the left.

The selective driving device for the mandrels 5 and 6 of the two reels A and B will now be described, particularly by reference to FIG. 2.

As already mentioned, the blade-holding cylinder 13 of the rotary cutting device is set in rotation by the motor 14. Two sprockets and 26, situated on both sides of the cylinder 13, are mounted loose on the shaft 24 of the blade-holding cylinder 13. With these sprockets 25 and 26 are associated two clutches 27 and 28 respectively, enabling them to be coupled to the cylinder 13, and also two brakes 29 and 30 respectively, borne by the frame I of the device and enabling these sprockets respectively, to be braked and immobilized, so that a predetermined tension can be applied to the sheet 7 in course of being unwound.

Chains 31 and 32, which form parts of movement transmission devices by which the mandrels 5 and 6 are set in rotation, respectively, pass over the sprockets 25 and 16. The said transmission devices also include chain units indicated schematically and numbered 33 as a whole, serving to drive the upper mandrel 5, and numbered 34 as a whole, serving to drive the lower mandrel 6.

The transmission ratio of each of the transmission chain devices 33 and 34 is selected to ensure that the peripheral speed of the blade-holding cylinder 13 will be at least equal to or above the peripheral speed of the new reel B. This peripheral speed of the reel B is adjusted relative to that of the sheet of material 7. This can be done with the aid of a speed pick-up (not shown) situated in the path over which the said sheet 7 passes and caused to operate in accordance with the indication of another speed pick-up 35 moving relative to the periphery of the new reel B of sheet 7'.

The operation of the device covered by the invention will now be described. Let us assume, that, as described previously, the upper mandrel 5 bears the reel A that this reel A is about to reach the end of its unwinding process; and that the lower mandrel 6 is about to receive the new reel B, the sheet 7 of which is to be connected to the sheet 7. Under these conditions the brake 29, connected to the reel A, is the only one to be operated, the two clutches 27 and 28 and the other brake 30 not being operated. The rotation of sprocket 25 is thus slowed up by the brake 29, and since this sprocket 25 is coupled to the mandrel 5 of the reel A via the chain 31 and the transmission device 33, the reel A is likewise slowed up, thus ensuring the correct tension in the sheet 7. Furthermore, the other sprocket 26 is loose on the driving shaft 24 for the blade-holding cylinder 13, which is at rest, as the motor 14 is not operated.

While the reel A continues to unwind, a new reel B is placed on the lower mandrel 6 and caused to turn in such a way as to move the adhesive band 8, affixed to its outermost turn, into position opposite a reference mark which is provided on the frame 1 of the device and the position of which depends on the diameter of the reel. The blade-holding cylinder 13 is then caused to turn in such a way as to move the blade 10 into position opposite a second reference mark borne by the frame 1. The clutch 28 is then operated in such a manner as to couple the sprocket 26 to the blade-holding cylinder 13. From this moment onwards, therefore, the blade-holding cylinder 13 is drivingly connected with the mandrel 6 bearing the new reel B.

The motor 14 is then started. It progressively sets in rotation the blade-holding cylinder 13 and therefore the new reel B coupled to it. The rotation speed of the cylinder 13 and of the reel B increases until their peripheral speeds becomes equal to those of the sheet 7, this condition being detected by the aforementioned speed pick-up means including pick-up 35.

When the upper reel A has been sufficiently unwound the procedure for bringing about end-to-end interconnection of sheets 7, 7' is initiated. This procedure commences with the pressurization of the upper jack 17, which causes the levers 15 to pivot anticlockwise, as a result of which the counter-blade 11 is displaced towards the left and interposed on the path of revolution of the blade 10. This operation takes place shortly after the passage of the blade 10, i.e. the effective cutting of the sheet of material 7 will take place after about one rotation of the blade 10, when this latter will once again come in contact with the counter-blade ll.

At a given time later, the lower jack 23 will be pressurized and will cause the two arms 2] bearing the ap plicator roller 19 to be pivoted upwards, these elements then assuming the position indicated by the dot-anddash lines in FIG. 1. The applicator roller 19 thus causes the sheet of material 7 to come in contact with the peripheral surface of the sheet 7' on the new reel B, rotating at the same linear speed, after the passage of the adhesive band 8.

At the moment of the cut, when the blade 10 is passing over the blade 11, the adhesive band 8 occupies a strictly defined position, owing to the relative angular position of the blade-holding cylinder 13 and the reel B both of which are then beginning to rotate starting from positions correlated with their respective reference marks. Their relative angular position is thereafter maintained by the transmission device 33, 34. Once the sheet of material 7 has been cut it follows the path shown in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 1, and its rear part is pressed against the reel B, by the applicator roller 19, at the exact moment when the adhesive band 8 reaches the zone of contact between this roller and the reel B. This rear part of the sheet 7 is then pressed against the outwardly exposed part of the adhesive part 8, adhering to this band and driving the latter and also the beginning of the outermost turn of the reel B, which is then pulled after the sheet 7 previously cut. The end-to-end interconnection operation is thus effected very accurately, despite the high linear speed which preferably still prevails in the travel of the sheet 7.

The sheet 7, 7' having been connected on one side only, this operation now has to be carried out on the other side in the preferred embodiment of the invention. For this purpose a suction cylinder 36 is connected by a chain 37 to the blade-holding cylinder 13. The cylinder 36 bears an adhesive band 42 (with the adhesive surface on the outerside) adhering thereto by suction and rotates at the same linear peripheral speed as the blade-holding cylinder 13.

The sheet of paper or cardboard 7 normally rolls on a cylinder 38 borne by two articulated arms 39 and controlled by a jack 40, this cylinder 38 being positioned underneath an upper cylinder 41.

After the cutting operation the jack 40 is pressurized in order to cause the cylinder 38 to re-ascend. This movement causes the sheet 7 passing through the apparatus to come to roll against the suction cylinder 36 and also causes the sheet to be gripped between the cylinders 38 and 41, which are loose on their shafts.

This re-ascent takes place in such time that the connection already produced on one side, by means of the adhesive band 8, is located just in front of the adhesive band 42 borne by the suction cylinder 36. This result can be obtained by controlling the cutting operation with a timing system, well known by itself.

The adhesive band 42 then covers the joint of sheets 7. The adhesive force of this band is greater than the suction force of cylinder 36. Thus the two adhesive bands 8 and 42 are then transported by the sheet of material 7, 7', and are gripped between the rollers 38 and 41.

Once the cutting operation and the interconnection operation have been completed the reel A, which has been used up, is immobilized, by braking the sprocket 25 to the maximum extend by means of the brake 29, which is connected by the chains 31, 33 to the mandrel of the reel A.

The pressurizing of jacks 17 and 23 is then interrupted, or reversed so that the applicator roller 19 resumes its operating position, shown in full lines in FIG. 1, and the counter-blade l1 resumes its position of rest, in which it is moved out of the way, under the action of the restoring spring 50.

After the interconnection operation the engagement of clutch 28 is interrupted and the brake 30 is energized for example with electric current. This brake 30 then applies a resistant torque to the sprocket 26 and therefore to the reel B, in order to impart an appropriate tension to the sheet of material unwound from this reel.

Together with the above operations the actuation of the brake 29 is interrupted, in order to release the other sprocket 25, and the motor 14 driving the counterblade 13 is switched offv The stationary mandrel S is then ready to receive a new reel, which will be connected to the end of the reel B when all the material has been unwound from the latterv While the reel B is delivering material the support 2 is pivoted by an angle of 180 in a clockwise direction, in order to convey the new reel B into the upper position, in place of the reel A, from which all the material has been unwound beforehand. For this purpose current is supplied to a motor 51 coupled to the shaft 4 by a chain 52. The return rollers 20a and 9a and the coun ter-blade 11a are thus caused to assume the position previously occupied by the rollers 20 and 9 and the counter-blade 11. The sheet of material unwound from the reel B then moves onto the two return rollers 20a and 9a.

The empty mandrel 5, now in the lower position, can be fitted with a new reel when the reel in course of being unwound has delivered a sufficient quantity of its material.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for interconnecting two webs of material, incident to travel thereof, comprising;

a frame defining a horizontal axis; support means mounted on the frame for pivotal motion about said axis; first and second mandrels each pivotally mounted on said support means for supporting and rotating respectively a first web reel for unwinding a first travelling web of material at a high, peripheral, linear speed of travel, and a second web reel in readiness for delivery of a second web;

means for cutting off said first travelling web from said first web reel, when said first web reel approaches being totally unwound, to produce a transverse edge across the web, said means comprising a counter-blade mounted on said support means for movement between an inactive position and a cutting position of the counter-blade; a driving shaft joumaled on said frame, parallel to said axis; a motor for driving the shaft; rotary cutter means, comprising, a blade holder mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith; and a cutting blade mounted on said blade holder to cooperate with said counter-blade in the cutting position of the latter by cutting said first travelling web to produce said edge; transmission system, comprising, first and second transmission wheels; first and second clutches for coupling said first and second transmission wheels respectively, to said driving shaft to drive them; first and second motion transmission means for transmitting motion from said first and second transmission wheels, respectively, to the mandrels of said first and second web reels; first and second brake means for said first and second transmission wheels and thereby for said first and second mandrels and web reels, respectively; and control means for said first and second clutch means and for said first and second brake means, thereby enabling equalizing the linear, peripheral speeds of said first and second web reels for splicing the first and second webs;

means for splicing said webs, comprising, means for juxtaposing an edge of the second web with the transverse edge of the first web and applying at least one adhesive band to the two edge" while beginning the rotation of the second w. reel and ending the rotation of the first web reel by said first and second clutches and brakes; and

means for effecting the pivotal motion of said support, upon the splicing of said bands, and for thereby converting the second web reel into a web reel for further delivery ofa travelling web of material.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said transmission wheels are sprockets and said transmission means include chains engage by said sprockets.

3. Apparatus according' to claim 1 additionally including means for applying a second adhesive band to the edge portions of said two webs opposite the one adhesive band.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the means for applying a second adhesive band to said webs comprises suction means for holding the second band in readiness adjacent to the downstream from the means for applying said one adhesive band.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 including at least one pair of return cylinders on said support means and means for passing the travelling web of material over the two return cylinders; said counter-blade being mounted for a rocking motion between said return cylinders.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including jack means mounted on said frame for controlling the rocking motion of the counter-blade.

edges of the first and second webs.

I I i I! 

1. Apparatus for interconnecting two webs of material, incident to travel thereof, comprising; a frame defining a horizontal axis; support means mounted on the frame for pivotal motion about said axis; first and second mandrels each pivotally mounted on said support means for supporting and rotating respectively a first web reel for unwinding a first travelling web of material at a high, peripheral, linear speed of travel, and a second web reel in readiness for delivery of a second web; means for cutting off said first travelling web from said first web reel, when said first web reel approaches being totally unwound, to produce a transverse edge across the web, said means comprising a counter-blade mounted on said support means for movement between an inactive position and a cutting position of the counter-blade; a driving shaft journaled on said frame, parallel to said axis; a motor for driving the shaft; rotary cutter means, comprising, a blade holder mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith; and a cutting blade mounted on said blade holder to cooperate with said counterblade in the cutting position of the latter by cutting said first travelling web to produce said edge; a transmission system, comprising, first and second transmission wheels; first and second clutches for coupling said first and second transmission wheels respectively, to said driving shaft to drive them; first and second motion transmission means for transmitting motion from said first and second transmission wheels, respectively, to the mandrels of said first and second web reels; first and second brake means for said first and second transmission wheels and thereby for said first and second mandrels and web reels, respectively; and control means for said first and second clutch means and for said first and second brake means, thereby enabling equalizing the linear, peripheral speeds of said first and second web reels for splicing the first and second webs; means for splicing said webs, comprising, means for juxtaposing an edge of the second web with the transverse edge of the first web and applying at least one adhesive band to the two edges while beginning the rotation of the second web reel and ending the rotation of the first web reel by said first and second clutches and brakes; and means for effecting the pivotal motion of said support, upon the splicing of said bands, and for thereby converting the second web reel into a web reel for further delivery of a travelling web of material.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said transmission wheels are sprockets and said transmission means include chains engage by said sprockets.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 additionally including means for applying a second adhesive band to the edge portions of said two webs opposite the one adhesive band.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the means for applying a second adhesive band to said webs comprises suction means for holding the second band in readiness adjacent to the downstream from the means for applying said one adhesive band.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 including at least one pair of return cylinders on said support means and means for passing the travelling web of material over the two return cylinders; said counter-blade being mounted for a rocking motion between said return cylinders.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including jack means mounted on said frame for controlling the rocking motion of the counter-blade.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second transmission wheels, first and second clutches and first and second brakes are coaxially mounted on said drive shaft.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for splicing includes an applicator roller and means for moving said applicator roller between a first position, in which the first travelling web is spaced from the second web reel, and a second position wherein the applicator roller presses the travelling web against the second web reel for attaching the adhesive band to the edges of the first and second webs. 